Code Geass: Lelouch of the Path of Shadow and Blood
by sephiroth12285
Summary: After being declared dead when Japan became Area 11, Lelouch has received help from an unlikely ally wanting revenge against the Royal Family. In a world where assassins and Imperial Arms (Teigu) are part of the world with Knightmare Frames the rules have changed and the threats facing Lelouch will be greater. Lelouch/harem (Cassandra, Akame, C.C, Kallen, Hinata/Hinowa so far)
1. Chapter 1 Mentorship

A/N: Originally, I was going to update my Lelouch of the Revolutionary Army, but I was unable to produce a chapter. Check my profile to glimpse at my other plans for updating some of my other stories.

Instead, I ended up producing a whole new story where this time instead of mixing Code Geass into the world of Akame ga Kill I am doing the reverse here and combining the Akame ga Kill into the world of Code Geass.

Some things from Lelouch of the Revolutionary Army will carry over, but as far as the timeline of events go this is happening around the time of Akame ga Kill Zero while for Code Geass it's around episode one.

Night Raid will appear in due time, and as for how Teigu fit into this, I might've developed an interesting idea of integration while adding another reason for Japan getting invaded. I leave the rest for the end of the chapter, so enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Mentorship**

"Again," an elderly woman demanded.

Armed with a sword a seventeen-year-old teenager with black hair, and amethyst eyes wearing a white dirtied shirt with black shorts and matching shoes was facing an older woman in her late fifties or early sixties. She possessed grey hair and purple eyes dressed in tattered purple robes and matching cloth wrapped around her head holding a dagger in one hand while her other hand was covered in an armored gauntlet.

Lelouch Lamperouge studied his older foe before looking for an opportunity to slip in an attack, but when he found none, he charged her in the hopes of creating one.

The two began a fierce exchange with Babara Oarburgh defending herself against Lelouch's sword strikes using her dagger.

"Don't simply swing your sword," Babara scolded, "be more creative!"

To illustrate her point, Babara fought back striking Lelouch's sword with a powerful blow forcing the young man back. Despite her age, it was apparent Babara was a powerful foe, and each blow from her dagger was staggering.

Observing the pair spar was an older man in his early thirties with slick black hair and brown eyes with a fair skin complexion wearing a black dress shirt with matching pants and boots.

"His physical strength and endurance still needs work," Lucien Lachance said while thinking to himself.

Lucien Lachance was an ally and tutor for Lelouch Lamperouge, formerly Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, for the past seven years since the young man and his sister were abandoned in Japan. Originally they were to serve as political hostages in the Sakuradite conflict between Japan and the Holy Britannian Empire, but Britannia invaded Japan on August 10th after an attempt to apply economic pressure on the superpower with the aid of the Chinese Federation, and the United Republic of Europia failed causing tensions between the two nations to reach their breaking point.

The Emperor of Britannia disregarded Lelouch and his younger sister Nunnally's safety as they invaded the nation quickly overwhelming the nation's small military and forcing a surrender merely one month after the invasion began.

Lucien was the sole survivor of a secretive order of assassin loyal to the Emperor once known as the Black Hand; they were assassins who not only protected the Emperor they carried out assassinations for him as well including one other duty. However, because the current Emperor, Charles zi Britannia, had murdered and overthrown his own father to seize the throne years before the invasion, the Black Hand had attempted to avenge him and kill the usurper. Yet shockingly the entire Black Hand, minus Lucien, was wiped out. Knowing he could bring down Charles on his own Lucien quietly bide his time while amassing resources and looking for someone among the royal family with a grudge who could help carry out his revenge upon the Emperor for the betrayal of his order.

"Better," Babara complimented dodging Lelouch's attack as the blade swung close to her robes, "but…"

Babara returned the favor by swiftly kicking Lelouch in the stomach with enough force to send him flying.

"Not good enough."

Lelouch was hurting, but he forced himself through the pain as he quickly recovered by scrambling to his feet. Unfortunately, Babara was already upon him, and Lelouch had to stop when he realized the older woman had her blade leveled near his throat.

"That's enough for the evening," Babara said before redrawing her dagger, "clearly we must do something about your strength and endurance."

Lelouch took some deep breaths but accepted Babara's hand to help him back onto his feet.

"I'll consider bringing my own student to serve as a sparring partner. She is about your age," Babara contemplated, but was met with protest by Lucien.

"We're supposed to keep this secret."

"I know, but you don't have to worry. You can trust my student, but perhaps I should bring Chelsea as well," Babara mused.

"Involving two other people I don't know," Lelouch said as he agreed with Lucien, he was reluctant to trust anyone else.

Considering how he was abandoned by his father and the Empire when the latter declared war on Japan disregarding his and sister's lives, and that was not even considering how they were cast away to Japan when Lelouch had confronted his father over the death of his mother, Marianne vi Britannia. Her demise led to not only their banishment to Japan when Lelouch confronted the Emperor and accused him of letting his mother die, but Nunnally was left blind from the trauma of their mother's demise having been shielded by her when their mother was gunned down.

Nunnally lived but was paralyzed from the waist down due to her legs being riddled by bullets.

"You have my word they can be trusted, besides as you are now a better-trained assassin could easily kill you," Babara pointed out much to Lelouch's annoyance.

"I see," Lucien began recognizing an ulterior motive for Babara wishing to involve her students, "to provide Lelouch with potential bodyguards?"

"Yes, although he has the skill his body isn't suitable for assassin work even though he has carried out several assassinations successfully."

Lelouch's expression displayed his frustration, although he was in better shape compared to what he was seven years ago when he first met Lucien. The problem lay with the fact that Lelouch wasn't at the level of the seemingly superhuman speed and strength assassins of Babara's caliber were capable of.

"Still I suppose training with your student could help him, especially since if you are having a hard time holding back," Lucien noted. "At least we shouldn't have to worry about you accidentally killing him."

Babara merely chuckled in amusement.

_If anything I learned from sparring with Babara is to never assume someone isn't dangerous because of their age, _Lelouch thought.

He didn't doubt Babara was a capable assassin, but rather Lelouch just didn't expect her to be so strong given how one kick from her sent him flying off his feet.

"I have my reservations about this, but…" Lelouch said as he was understandably concerned, although he and his sister were declared dead after the war should the pair be discovered to be alive it could lead to them being used as political pawns or worse.

"I gave my word as a member of the Oarburgh Clan to train, assist and to protect you as per our agreement," Babara noted. "My students will not dare to do anything to taint my honor as an assassin."

Lelouch wasn't wholly convinced, but he relented for now.

"I suppose I'll have to wait until tomorrow then," Lelouch said while showing fatigue from an evening of intense training.

Once Lelouch left the waterworks, which were being used as a training site that was private and away from anyone who could stumble upon them Lucien and Babara began a conversation.

"That boy is our only hope of destroying the Ultimate Teigu possessed by the Empire," Babara began, "yet I am concerned about his physical limitations."

"I know, but compared to how he was seven years ago, he is much better off."

"Maybe, but he still has a long way to go." Babara pointed out before adding, "However, in terms of development and education as a military leader, he has been exceeding expectations in that regard."

"Yes, he has," Lucien replied in agreement. "Lelouch has all of the makings of a brilliant strategist and a leader, but he needs some real experience to truly refine those traits."

"Most important of all he has the Imperial Signet," Babara added.

"Indeed and that shall be our trump card."

"And he is the only one who could use it," Lucien noted, although technically Nunnally could use it, however, the pair agreed Lelouch was far more suitable.

Nunnally, despite the trauma and hardships she endured because of her disabilities she was too kindhearted for the path Lelouch sought to walk. Even so, Nunnally was also too much of an easy target, which only further convinced Lucien and Babara that Lelouch was their best choice to possess the ring and groom into a leader who could raise an army to bring down Britannia.

It was what Lelouch vowed he would do on the day Japan surrendered and became just the person Lucien sought to present the ring to as Lucien recalled the vow Lelouch made he had overheard.

"_One day I swear I'll obliterate Britannia!" _

"The boy has the anger and drive needed, but he still needs refinement," Babara pointed out.

"I agree, but he is better prepared at least for what the Path of Blood will demand of him."

"I hope you are not dotting on him too much," Babara cautioned. "I know you had followed Lelouch after you heard what happened to his mother and how he was banished to Japan by his own father before the war to find someone within the Royal Family who would have enough of a grudge to seek their destruction."

Lucien seemed amused, "maybe, but I suppose I am taking the utmost care to ensure he is properly trained and will not disappoint me when the time comes for him to act."

"I suppose…"

* * *

Meanwhile, Lelouch had used the service elevator to slip back into Ashford Academy above ground. It didn't take long for Lelouch to reach his room located on the second floor of the Student Council Clubhouse, which was initially a ballroom for special functions. Lelouch didn't live in the dorms like other students due to the clubhouse being more accessible for his disabled sister than the girl's dorm enabling the siblings to live together. Lelouch cared for Nunnally but was assisted by their maid who acted as Nunnally's primary caretaker. Arriving at his room, Lelouch quickly collapsed onto the bed, letting sleep take him.

The memory came in the form of a dream but is only fueled Lelouch's resolve to fulfill the oath he had made that day seven years ago. However, shortly afterward he and his sister were brought to a safe house on their way to the Ashford Family after landing with the colonial settlers following Britannia properly securing Japan and renaming it Area 11.

* * *

"Greetings your majesty I am Lucien Lachance. From this moment on I will be your legal guardian," Lucien said, introducing himself.

Lucien was wearing an all-black suit while a ten-year-old Lelouch sat behind a metal table wearing a grey shirt and black shorts while eyeing the older man with apparent distrust.

"I rather not have one," Lelouch muttered defiantly under his breath.

Following the conclusion of the war Lelouch and his sister had little choice, but to seek the aid of his mother's old allies and supporters the Ashford Family. Since the death of his mother Marianne, Lelouch had learned the Ashford Family had lost their positions of nobility, and their business ventures had collapsed into ruin. However, thanks to gathering what remaining assets the Ashfords had they managed to arrange for themselves to establish themselves in Area 11.

"True, but even you must understand it's merely for your convenience," Lucien pointed out. "The Ashfords are sheltering you for now, which we both know is only for using you and your sister as liability insurance if the situation for them in Area 11 becomes unfavorable to them. Yet to ensure no one realizes your true identity, a proper cover story is required."

"I know, and we have been declared dead already."

"Then let's get down to business then," Lucien said before taking a seat across from Lelouch at the table. "In public, you will refer to me as Lucien Lamperouge, and I am your uncle who has taken you and your sister in following the demise of your parents where they were killed in an accident. Your sister survived, but was rendered paralyzed from the waist down and the trauma of the incident robbed her of her eyesight."

"Sounds easy enough," Lelouch replied dismissively.

"However, in private I'll be training you."

"Huh," Lelouch said actually caught off guard by that.

"I overheard the vow you made to your friend, Suzaku was it?"

Lelouch was concerned by the worried expression on his face, but Lucien merely smiled before waving a hand dismissively.

"Worry not about it," Lucien offered assumingly, "in fact I have a proposition for you."

"What are you suggesting?"

Lelouch was suspicious of Lucien's motives, but recognizing he probably couldn't outright refuse without likely some unspoken repercussions, Lelouch decided to let him make his offer.

"First let me ask you, how do you plan to obliterate Britannia?"

"I can't do it now, but in time I'll gather resources."

"Good and what else?"

"Well," Lelouch began; although he had some general ideas on how to proceed, he hadn't time to truly give it any serious thought.

"I see," Lucien said before saying what he recognized what Lelouch was thinking. "You hadn't had much time to plan it out yet, which is why you will like what I can offer you."

"Go on..."

"I can train you in everything you need to know and obtain the skills you'll need. I can even assist you when you begin gathering followers as an adviser."

"In exchange for what?"

"Revenge upon the Emperor," Lucien answered.

"Revenge, what did he do to you?"

"The Emperor murdered his father and usurped the throne before slaughtering the order I belong to."

"Wait I thought the previous Emperor died of old age?"

"No, but that was the cover story they put forth," Lucien answered before proceeding to explain. "The truth was that Charles, aided by members of the Knights of the Round overthrew and murdered the Emperor. My order, the Black Hand, was an order of assassins charged with the protection of the Emperor while occasionally eliminating threats to his safety. When we learned of what happened, my order intended to punish the traitors until we were attacked and systematically wiped out by those who swore loyalty to Charles until I remained."

"How did you survive?"

"I owe it to my position," Lucien replied before adding. "I was the Keeper of the Imperial Signet, a secret Imperial Arm created under the order of the first Britannian Emperor."

"The Imperial Signet?"

"What do you know about Imperial Arms?"

"When Britannia was founded the first Emperor had commissioned the very best smiths and minds to create special weapons and tools for the Empire, each of them had different abilities, and many of them are still used today despite the advancements in technology."

When Britannia was founded following the Age of Revolution, a time when various monarchies in Europe were overthrown with the French Revolution was the most noteworthy among them, but the isles of Great Britain aside from Russia did not. Eventually, however; Napoleon Bonaparte launched a successful invasion of the British Isles, although its reigning ruler Queen Elizabeth III had successfully retreated to Edinburgh she was captured by a revolutionary militia and forced to abdicate the throne ending her reign.

Yet Sir Ricardo von Britannia, Duke of Britannia, and his friend Sir Richard Hector rescued Queen Elizabeth. They and other loyalists and their supports fled the British Isles to the North American colonies where they established a new capital. When Queen Elizabeth died childless, she named her lover Ricardo as her successor beginning the long line of Britannian Emperors. Yet wanting to prevent their remnants of a beaten Empire from collapsing Ricardo gathered together the finest minds available and commissioned them to create powerful weapons to help ensure not only the Empire's survival but its expansion to crawl back from the brink.

Using the finest materials and components gathered from Danger Beasts the Emperor created forty-eight unique weapons and tools dubbed Imperial Arms or referred to as Teigu by some, especially those in Japan.

Thanks to these new weapons and tools Britannia rose from the ashes and soon conquered the entire American Continent and soon began aggressively expanding beyond forging the Holy Britannian Empire.

"Yes officially forty-eight Imperial Arms were created, but outside of the Emperor, myself and the leader of my order a forty-ninth Imperial Arm was crafted in secret."

"The Imperial Signet?"

Lucien nodded before beginning to explain, "The First Emperor realized the possibility that the Imperial Arms could be wielded by our enemies or a member of the Royal Family could misuse it leading to potential destruction for the Empire. So as a fail-safe a special ring was made which could allow the user to disable the special abilities of any Imperial Arm forged by the Empire for a full day, or compel it to self-destruct which can only be done once a week."

Lelouch was surprised that Lucien had such a ring in his possession, but this quickly prompted him to ask.

"I assume the ring can only be used by a member of the Royal Family?"

"Correct, and if you were wondering only the previous Emperor, myself and the leader of the Black Hand knew of the ring's existence. The Emperor usually informs his heir to be on his deathbed, but Charles murdered his own father, so he was never told of its existence."

"I see, and some of the Emperor's finest like the Knights of the Round use Imperial Arms," Lelouch said realizing the advantage he had just been given.

"Yes, but this alone will not help you topple Britannia."

"I know, and that is why you wish to train me, right?"

"Correct, so my offer is that I will help you become someone who can gather and lead followers to bring down Britannia, thus allowing me to achieve my revenge and yours."

Lelouch smiled deviously, "so when do we get started."

Lucien, in turn, smiled as a thought came to mind.

_Kill a boy's mother, and vengeance festers in the son!_

* * *

Around the same time in another corner of Japan, but it was a forest area located in the northern regions far from most towns and cities.

What had been once a calm night wherein an opening clearing a campsite had been established with a dozen tents. It was now the site of a massacre, but those who had built the campground were not completely helpless, yet their opposition was anything but ordinary.

One of them, while mindful of her surroundings, was wielding a pair of handguns. She was young around sixteen or seventeen, yet she was the shortest of the group standing at four feet and eleven inches despite her age having shoulder-length brown hair and amber eyes. Her attire consisted of a form-fitting white mini-dress with brown trim around the collar, the ends of her short sleeves, lower torso and parts of her lower dress combined with brown boots and light ran gloves.

Tsukushi took aim at an armed gunman dressed in casual attire attempting to shoot them while hiding behind a damaged truck designed for off-road travel.

She fired her gun, but after passing the van, the bullet changed course and went through the target's head.

"I got him!"

"Well done, Tsukushi."

Next to her was her best friend, although taller than her by about five inches. She wore a one-piece white combat unit lined with red ending in a skirt, a red belt around the waist, wearing matching gloves and thigh-high forming fitting boots. She had waist-length black hair and red eyes with a fair skin complexion armed with a katana without its hilt-guard.

"I'll take care of the rest," Akame declared before rushing out to cut down another armed resistance fighter while trying to quickly reload his weapon.

The resistance fighter saw Akame coming, but he couldn't reload his weapon fast enough.

"Rest in pieces," Akame declared before slashing open the man's throat ending his life.

Meanwhile, the rest of their friends were finishing up with the mop up.

"Ugh!"

That was the last sound of a man who was kicked in the face with such force his skull imploded, and the one responsible was another young girl with long auburn styled into a top-knot ponytail with lime eyes. Poney wore a black tank top with matching form-fitting trousers and matching ankle bracelets. She also didn't wear any shoes.

"I got another one!" Poney cheered before quickly dodging another resistance fighter trying to shoot her, but her trousers called Yocto-bottoms increased leg strength allowing her to run much faster than an average human.

Enough to narrowly evade the bullets fired at her.

Poney leaped into the air before delivering a skull break roundhouse kick to the man's head killing him.

"That's four for me!"

Suddenly a resistance member's body was thrown into the path of bullets fired at Poney from another resistance fighter having hidden behind some tents waiting for an opportunity to shoot her.

"Poney, pay attention to your surroundings!"

The young man who had saved her by using his own weapon Sidewinder, a whip that can move according to the user's will, wore glasses as his most defining feature and has short black hair, green eyes wearing a matching jacket over a black shirt with brown pants and black boots.

"Uh yeah…sure thanks, Green."

"Stay on your guard, people!"

Nearby two armed resistance fighters had been cut down by another young man wearing a white uniform trimmed with yellow possessing spiky blond hair and golden eyes. Najasho's own weapon Water-Dragon Sword was covered in the blood of those he had just cut down.

"Cornelia get that one before he can escape," Najasho ordered.

"Yes Chief," replied a young woman with waist-length blonde hair and blue eyes wearing black boots, green pants, and long sleeve white dress shirt while her right arm had a grey gauntlet upon it.

Cornelia caught up with her fleeing quarry and punched the man in the stomach causing blood to erupt from the man's mouth before he was sent flying and impacting into one of the parked off-road vehicles he was trying to flee towards.

The impact left a noticeable dent on the vehicle.

"That should be the last of them," Najasho said before tapping an electronic earpiece concealed in his left ear. "Did you find it, Guy? We have finished up here."

"Yeah, I found it."

Inside a cave, a distance away laid three dead men who were part of the resistance group that had been wiped out. Besides them and the one who had killed them the cave had a large gas-powered generator set up which provided power for the lights hanging from the ceiling and the various workbenches set up around the wide cavern.

Guy was the oldest of the group by a year, yet he was muscular with a scar on his cheek, but the rest of him was covered by the armor he wore known as Rare Armor. The Armor allows the wielder to move through soil thanks to the suit's ability to manipulate soil yet it cannot create soil on its own. The armor was black with a red gem on the chest and belt and a mask covering the face while coming with large claw-like hands for burrowing.

"It looks like the intel we got was spot on," Guy replied before adding, "they were trying to create Imperial Arms…well key word being trying."

"Understood, take anything of use then destroy the rest," Najasho answered before noticing someone else had arrived on the scene.

"Well done all of you."

The new arrival was the oldest by far being in his mid-thirties with shoulder-length blonde hair and green eyes with a small beard dressed in a white shirt, black pants and a red scarf carrying a red hilted katana by his side.

"This is your first time taking on a fully armed group of terrorists, but you all performed splendidly," Gozuki, their mentor and leader, complimented.

"Thank you, father," Najasho replied politely.

"So did Guy find it?"

"He did, and they were attempting to create their own Imperial Arms, so as per ordered he is taking any documents or anything of use to us before using the bomb he brought to destroy the rest," Najasho answered.

"Good work, but I suppose while we wait we should take a look around and see if there is anything that could help us identify where they got their equipment from."

"Hey Daddy, I killed five of them," Poney announced happily.

"Nicely done," Gozuki complimented before adding with a harsh expression and voice to match, "but I saw you were getting a little too cocky so Green had to bail you out. Don't let it happen again or you'll end up dead."

Poney gazed down upon the ground, deeply disappointed.

"On that note good job on that save Green," Gozuki said, giving another compliment to his children.

Akame, Green, Poney, Cornelia, Guy, Najasho, and Tsukushi were not Gozuki's actual children. They were all children sold to the Holy Britannian Empire and so they each came from different corners of the Empire. Those like Akame and Tsukushi came from outside the Empire having been sold by their parents who served as spies on the Empire's behalf yet had no desire to possess children who were born as a result of their duties.

Eight years ago a hundred children who had been sold to the Emperor was gathered and released into a forest in the most remote and dangerous part of the Alaskan Wilderness filled with deadly plants and ravenous Danger Beasts. Most of them were killed by the harsh conditions, but those who survived were inducted into Britannia's new assassin training program. The top seven who survived were adopted by Gozuki becoming both his children and students while the rest were given to another to begin training them.

Together they formed the Elite Seven; an elite unit of assassins to eliminate enemies of the Holy Britannian Empire.

Each member was given a Vassal Arm, or like the Imperial Arms referred to as Shingu by the Japanese, were created by Britannian Emperor William who sought to develop new weapons and tools to surpass the Imperial Arms, but instead, his creations while still better than most weapons failed to surpass the Imperial Arms. Out of shame at his failure, they were sealed away in a vault for decades until the vault was opened and the weapons within offered to Gozuki's children.

Minutes later an explosion was heard in the distance followed by Guy with his armor now inactive wearing causal attire consisting of white pants, a matching collared shirt, and a brown vest while revealed to have brown hair and matching eyes.

"Here is what I managed to find," Guy said, offering a bundle of papers he had collected from the cave.

Gozuki accepted the documents before beginning to glance over them, "hmmm I don't see any indication they were receiving help from anyone. I'll give these to intelligence and have them look them over along with anything else we find here."

"Should we go about disposing of the campsite father?" Green inquired while adjusting his glasses.

"No a cleanup crew is on the way here along with our ride back home, so we'll leave it to them," Gozuki answered. "I am disappointed we didn't find any leads, but I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise that others would attempt to make their own Imperial Arms after Japan's successful attempt years ago."

Aside from deteriorating relations between Japan and Britannia combined with the fact Japan Sakuradite mines provided the world with over seventy percent of their total supply; Japan was discovered to have been successful in producing their own Imperial Arms, or Meihou as they called them. This was the origin behind the Japanese and some others to call Britannia's creations Teigu and Shingu respectively offending most Britannians.

Japan producing something that could match their Imperial Arms was the last straw that ignited the conflict between the two nations resulting in Japan being conquered and the Empire systematically destroying anyone or any place in Japan capable of producing a Meihou. Out of stubborn pride Britannians still classify Japan's creations as Imperial Arms because some were refusing to accept a smaller nation had created their own Imperial Arms thus accusing Japan of stealing the means from them.

"Still this place is more of a hotbed for terrorist activity than I had heard," Gozuki said as he walked around the ruined campsite taking note of the assault rifles and other equipment the terrorists his children had put down had. "On the one hand this means more field experience for all of you, but on the other wiping out the terrorist problem in Area 11 will take some time."

"Don't worry father, we'll help clear this place out of trouble so the people can be cheerful again," Tsukushi offered.

Gozuki laughed, "I am sure you will in time, but it will take a while, so be ready for the long haul."

_Although a change in leadership would likely help things along, _Gozuki contemplated internally.

* * *

The following morning Lelouch dressed in his school uniform exited the elevator of a lavish skyscraper, but he wasn't alone. Following him wearing the black and gold-trimmed uniform of Ashford Academy was a young man with a tanned complexion, silver eyes, and spiky blue hair.

With a confident stride, Lelouch approached a pair of double doors where a man wearing a black suit saw him before pushing a button to open the doors allowing him to walk inside.

"Oh thank heavens I am saved," an older man with a balding head wearing a dress shirt, black pants and vest with glasses exclaimed happily leaving his seat to greet Lelouch. "Is everything going well at school?"

"Nothing much to speak of," Lelouch replied.

"What is this," a new voice asked, "school boys?"

Lelouch smirked akin to a predator who spotted some easy prey.

Inside the room, the pair had just entered where the older man had vigorously greeted Lelouch a chess game was still in progress with the old man as his foe while his opponent was a younger Nobleman with brown hair, blue eyes and a mustache wearing Victorian inspired outfit.

"Well look at this a nobleman," Lelouch replied his smile never fading.

"I envy you kids today. You all have so much time on your hands, so any time for regrets?" The nobleman remarked with a sinister smile. "What's your name?"

"Lelouch Lamperouge."

"Whoa," Rivalz Cardemonde exclaimed upon examining the chessboard, "there is no way you could win this?"

Lelouch quietly examined the board, but contrary to what Rivalz believed Lelouch saw he could turn the game around. It was the reason he was here after all since Lelouch would take time to engage in underground chess matches for extra money and the older man was a fairly wealthy businessman Lelouch has indebted to him for bailing him out of chess games, such as these, going very badly for him.

_How he hasn't been checkmated yet is beyond me, but this is still salvageable. _

"Rivalz," Lelouch began calmly, "when would we have to leave to make our next class?"

"Twenty minutes if we bust our humps."

"Then to be sure to drive safely on the way back," Lelouch answered with a confident smile before sitting down where the old man was taking control of the black pieces. "I'll only need nine minutes, by the way, about what we had talked about yesterday?"

"Understood, we'll talk about it later," The old man replied.

"Nine minutes, but you have twenty seconds per move?"

"Plenty of time…"

"You start with the king?" The noble asked upon witness Lelouch picking up the king chess piece before laughing at him but only smiled.

Amidst the Nobleman's laughter, a news report was playing upon a wall-mounted television screen.

"In other news, authorities are still baffled over the demise of the notorious serial killer and rapist known as Champ," the female newscaster reported while a picture of a man wearing clown makeup was shown. "No one knows he was poisoned, but the coroner has confirmed poison was used in his murder while in police custody. However, he was to be released due to being found not guilty of the crime of murdering and raping a classroom of children within the Satimama Ghetto due to a lack of evidence. Until it came to light following the demise of his lawyer, who was found to have died of similar poison, that witnesses and the jury were paid off along with investigators leading to the case to be reexamined."

Lelouch was pleased with himself, although his physical limitations did limit his ability as an assassin there were still other means Lelouch could take out his targets.

Thanks to his training Lelouch, and with Lucien's help, has managed to carry out some contact assassinations for additional money to help finance his future goals. At first, Lelouch kept to small contacts, and most of his targets deaths' were left unsolved or written off as accidents. Assassinating Champ was his first big contract with a generous reward for fulfilling it, although initially protected from the law by his lawyer even though Lelouch suspected someone else was helping cover him there a large number of vengeful parents and teachers who wanted him dead since the law was unwilling to punish him.

_Probably a lot of additional corruption within the justice system in Area 11 probably helped him avoid any serious sentencing and the fact he targeted Japanese children, _Lelouch recalled.

Its likely Champ didn't actually care if his victims were Britannian, Japanese or otherwise which probably meant his Britannian victims probably went unnoticed by the authorities and blamed on the Japanese living in the ghettos.

Regardless Lelouch was pleased with ending that monster's life, and the poison he used was an appropriate method of punishment.

_That poison wasn't easy to get, but anything else wouldn't be enough. _

The poison Lelouch used was a cholinesterase inhibitor. It works by stopping the brain from sending nerve messages down the spinal cord within thirty seconds of exposure, which could be inhaled or consumed. Then the victim will feel a cramp at the small of their back as the poison seizes their nervous system causing the muscles to freeze. At that point, the victim can no longer breathe before you spasming so hard they break their own back before vomiting out their liquefied internal organs.

That was provided they were still alive after their skin melted off before that.

_I don't know how such a vile monster escaped the law for so long, but he didn't elude the death sentence I gave him, _Lelouch thought as he felt satisfied.

The money was nice, but putting down such a monster was its own reward.

* * *

Around the same time, another problem was beginning to brew as Lelouch focused on the chess game before him. Somewhere in the Toyko Settle on one of the highways that ran through the city, a truck was speeding down the highway, but following it from the sky was a Britannian Police VTOL.

The driver of the truck gazed at the VTOL through one of the mirrors on the side, causing to snap in anger.

"PERFECT! Just when we finally steal this thing, but because Tamaki couldn't follow Naoto's plan now we have a problem!"

"What do we do?" A young woman sitting next to him in the passenger seat.

"We got no choice, but to keep going and hope we can make it to the ghetto before they sent the whole police force after us," Nagata replied.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Lelouch and Rivalz were leaving the elevator as it arrived on the ground floor.

"I love playing against the Nobility because when they lose, they always pay out of pride. By the way, eight minutes and twenty-two seconds is a new record."

"He didn't have much time to move either. Besides as far as opponents go the nobles are tepid, they are nothing but over-privileged parasites that's all."

"Then how about you challenge one of the Elevens they are nothing like us Britannians," Rivalz suggested, but before Lelouch could answer a tone from one of the large monitors mounted on the side of a nearby building interrupted them.

"We apologize for interrupting your scheduled program, but Clovis la Britannia, third prince of the empire and Viceroy of Area 11, wishes to address the nation."

"To all of my imperial subjects, and of course the many Honorary Britannians and Elevens who cooperate with the Empire."

* * *

Using a television remote Gozuki mute the broadcast.

"I wonder why someone like Princess Cornelia wasn't appointed to be Viceroy," Gozuki commented with a sigh before turning his attention back to his chess game.

"I know I shouldn't say anything ill about the Royal Family, but…" Green began sitting opposite of his adoptive father.

"It's alright, Green, you don't have to worry about holding back your opinions. I would be shocked if you didn't notice how much of a terrible job Clovis is doing as Viceroy," Gozuki answered with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The amount of terrorism active in Area 11 alone is the worse by far when compared to the other Areas, and from what we have seen from the last terrorist cells we have taken out probably got several crooked officers trying to make a quick buck by selling weapons to them."

"Right, but just the same I do apologize if I am speaking out of turn yet Area 11 is a mess."

Gozuki merely smiled before moving a knight, "you'll hear no argument from me."

Green and Gozuki were currently inside a mansion the group had purchased to use as both their base of operations and living quarters. Before their arrival in Area 11, the estate was remodeled to fit their needs while providing a large enough backyard for training and sparring between Gozuki's children while the latest in security systems and defensive measures were installed to ensure their privacy and to provide the first layer of defense.

At the moment, Green and Gozuki were on the second floor in the study while the others were left to their own devices.

"The resistance groups we eliminated didn't appear to be working together, yet they all had access to military grade weapons and supplies."

Gozuki paused before moving a chess piece.

"One of them we discovered were buying them from a military officer who wanted to fatten his wallet, so we can likely assume he may not be the only one. Identifying black market traders will be one of our tasks as we begin to eliminate terrorist groups around Area 11 so we can cut off their flow of weapons then identifying and putting a stop to any corrupt officials selling weapons to the enemy can be dealt with more effectively."

"Of course once their source of weapons is cut off, it should become easier to eliminate them, and without weapons, no new terrorist groups will be able to form," Green said understanding their overall plan for systematically wiping out terrorism in Area 11 resulting in receiving a nod from Gozuki.

"Its easier said than done, but replacing Clovis with someone more competent would speed things up otherwise it's going to take a while getting this place cleaned up."

"That issue aside what about the Japan Liberation Front? They are the biggest terrorist organization in Area 11, aren't they?"

"Yes and we are going to take them down, but being that they are made up of the remains of Japan's former military will make taking them down a little problematic. We'll likely need the support of the army once we find their headquarters provided Clovis doesn't make it difficult."

Suddenly Gozuki's phone began vibrating signaling a text message had been received prompting the older man to examine it.

"Something wrong?"

"That's odd Clovis just deployed the Royal Guard to chase down a truck that has stolen some medical equipment," Gozuki replied while raising an eyebrow.

When Gozuki brought the Elite Seven to Area 11 to begin wiping out terrorism, the Homeland had given him command over an intelligence unit and included an informant to help Gozuki remain apprised of events within the Military Command center already suspecting the terrorists were likely receiving weapons from corrupt officers.

_What is really on that truck for Clovis to deploy the Royal Guard like that? He hasn't been conducting any kind of secret projects I was made aware of…_

* * *

Around the same time on a highway heading back to Ashford Academy were Lelouch and Rivalz with the steering his motorbike while Lelouch sat in the sidecar reading a book.

"So that first move you made, why did you move the king?"

"If a king doesn't lead, then how can his subordinates follow?"

"What's with that?"

"With what," Lelouch asked without taking his eyes off his book.

"Do you fantasize yourself running some kind of major corporation?"

"No way ambitions like that are bad for your health?"

Suddenly a truck's horn drew their attention.

Rivalz panicked and steered the bike hard to the right trying to get out of the truck's way, but its driver likely annoyed with the bike and its rider tried to turn off the highway unknowingly speeding off the onramp before colliding into an unfinished building.

"Uh, was that our fault?" Rivalz asked, stopping the bike on the side of the highway.

"I don't think so," Lelouch answered before noticing a crowd of people gathering around the crash site, but Lelouch saw something coming from the truck's trailer that drew his attention.

"Oh man the bike's power line got cut," Rivalz remarked, realizing something was wrong with his bike.

Lelouch wasn't paying too much attention because he was intrigued by whatever odd phenomenon he saw coming from the trailer.

"Uh hey Rivalz are you seeing this?"

Rivalz ignored him leaving Lelouch's attention to be attracted by the crowd that has gathered, but much to both his annoyance and disgust they were more interested in looking at the scene and placing blame than doing something about it.

_Those idiots! _

Lelouch deposited his helmet and gloves into the sidecar before making his way to the crashed truck to see if he could provide assistance to the driver.

"Hey is anyone alright," Lelouch called upon approaching the truck, but when he received no response, Lelouch began climbing up the side of the trailer hoping to access the driver's cab from an alternate way because the debris around the truck blocked off access to the driver's cab.

Suddenly a voice echoed within Lelouch's mind as he climbed up to the top of the truck's trailer and found an open panel on the roof.

_Finally, I found my-_

_Huh, what was that?_

Without warning, Lelouch fell forward into the open panel on the roof when the truck suddenly reserved and began speeding away unknowingly taking Lelouch with them.

"Wait, I am in here!"

Before Lelouch could knock on the door leading into the driver's cab, he heard something outside that caused him to pause.

"STOP THE VEHICLE," the pilot of a military VTOL gunship shouted from his craft while two more gunships flanked him as they leveled their guns at the speeding truck. "Surrender now, and you might have a chance to defend yourselves in court! Stop, or we will shoot to kill!"

_Of all the trucks, _Lelouch thought now realizing his situation.

When Lelouch heard the door connecting to the driver cab about to open Lelouch quickly took cover behind a large machine, the truck was hauling. Safely concealed Lelouch observed a young woman about his age removing a blue coat and hat she had been wearing revealing more attire underneath. She possessed spiky red hair and blue eyes, but something about her was familiar.

_That girl looks familiar somehow? _

"Can you enter the subway via the Azabu route," Kallen Kozuki asked as she started ascending up some stairs leading into the cockpit of a kneeling red painted RPI-11 Glasgow Knightmare Frame.

"Kallen let's use it here!" Nagata called from the driver's cab.

"That would lead to a bloodbath!" Kallen said obviously against the idea before boarding the Glasgow.

"Ugh, you're right," Nagata replied reluctantly.

The Glasgow launched from the back of the truck after initiating a surprise attack on the VTOL gunships using a slash harken.

"Damn it these guys are real terrorists," Lelouch said, recognizing he had no way of escaping the truck for the time being.

_Right, I better take that communicator with me for now, _Lelouch thought before picking up the communication Kallen had been carrying in her coat pocket, which Lelouch saw sticking out the discarded article of clothing. _Then better make sure I am armed. _

Once he had secured the communicator in his coat, Lelouch made sure a ceramic pistol he carried, which wouldn't be picked up by metal detectors was loaded and ready for use.

Aside from the gun, Lelouch carried three hidden ceramic knives on his person along with a second gun.

_I'll hide for now and wait for an opportunity to get away, and if need be, I could offer this terrorist communicator to the military as a last resort. _

Hiding behind the large machine the truck was carrying Lelouch waited, but suspected they were traveling through the old subway tunnels taking into account the rough terrain and the lack of cell phone reception.

Waiting for what seemed like an eternity, the truck came to a stop, but after it hit something yet, this was Lelouch's best chance to escape.

_Now I just need to-_

At that moment, the side door of the trailer began to open, giving Lelouch a chance to flee the truck and get far away before the military comes looking for it.

"Perfect this is just what I needed now-"

Before finishing that sentence, a Britannian soldier came spinning through the air before hitting Lelouch with a spin kick, although Lelouch blocked it with his arms he was knocked to the ground by the force behind it.

"What the-"

Lelouch tried to recover quickly, but the Britannian Soldier was already upon him using one hand to hold him down as part of his mask detached from his helmet that concealed his face.

"Are you Britannian?"

"That's enough mindless murder!" The soldier shouted in return.

"Wait I am not-"

"Planning to use poison gas, don't play dumb with me!"

"GET OFF!" Lelouch said managing to use one of his legs to kick the soldier who quickly leaped off of him assuming a fighting stance. "I am not here by choice, and if that poison gas, then it was made by 't it?"

"My god," the soldier replied, realizing the apparent truth made clear by the fact that no resistance group in Area 11 could've produced poison gas on their own.

"Mindless murder, then why don't you just destroy Britannia?!"

"Lelouch," the soldier replied before removing his helmet to reveal the face of a seventeen-year Japanese boy with brown hair and green eyes. "It's me, Suzaku."

Lelouch was stunned, especially since this was the last place he had expected to encounter the first friend he made in Japan after a rough start between the two. Suzaku Kurugui was the only son of Japan's last Prime Minister, and since Lelouch and Nunnally were under Genbu Kurugui's care while they were being used as political hostages, they ended up becoming familiar with one another. The last time they had seen each other was seven years ago shortly after Japan became Area 11.

"You became a Britannian Soldier?"

"Yeah and what about you? Just why are you-"

"What are you implying," Lelouch snapped before the device next to them began activating as it began to open prompting Suzaku to dive forward and cover Lelouch's mouth with the gas mask attachment from his uniform.

Instead of poison gas, the capsule opened to reveal a young woman with green hair wearing a Britannian Prisoner jacket with her arms and legs bound.

"That's not poison gas," Suzaku commented before hurrying to attend to the girl, but he picked her up and laid her down outside of the truck where he and Lelouch could see better.

"Poison Gas, this girl? Tell me the truth, Suzaku?" Lelouch demanded climbing out of the truck as he began helping Suzaku undo her bindings around her legs, arms and there was one around her mouth.

"Hey its what they told us in the briefing."

Suddenly spotlights were shinned upon the crashed truck while standing in front of the source were soldiers, members of the Royal Guard dressed in red uniforms.

"Stinking monkey, being an Honorary Britannian will not excuse you," The leader of the royal guard snapped.

"Uh sir, but I thought this was poison gas," Suzaku asked hurrying to speak to his superior directly while leaving Lelouch with the girl who was slowly regaining consciousness.

"How dare you question orders?!" Suzaku's superiors snapped, but Lelouch already knew how this situation was going to potentially end.

_If they told Suzaku this was poison gas, then I saw something I shouldn't have which means-_

"However, in light of your service records and achievements I will be lenient," Suzaku's superior spoke before preparing to hand him a pistol. "Private Kurugui use this to execute the terrorist and recover the girl."

"Terrorist, but he's a civilian sir."

"Why you," the Royal Guard Commander said clearly losing patience with Suzaku, "that's an order. You have sworn your loyalty to Britannia haven't you?"

"Yes sir, but I…cannot follow that order I am afraid," Suzaku answered without hesitation, but his response earned him a bullet to the back, causing him to collapse upon the ground much to Lelouch's horror as he snapped to his feet ready to run.

"SUZAKU!"

"Now I'll kill the terrorist myself then we'll retrieve the girl," The Royal Guard Commander snapped leveling his gun at Lelouch, but as he pulled the trigger, the green haired girl rose to her feet and quickly shielded Lelouch from the bullet.

"HE MUSTN'T DIE!"

The green haired girl collapsed onto the ground after being shot in the head.

"You shot her!"

"It's unfortunate since our orders were to recover her alive if possible, but I'll tell my superiors we recovered her, but we were too late before the terrorists killed her. As for you…this time I won't miss." The Royal Guard commander said deviously unconcerned their target had been killed, but as Lelouch was desperately trying to devise how to escape this situation because he couldn't draw a weapon without getting shot first.

All hope seemed lost until Lelouch felt someone grab his leg.

Time seemingly came to a halt as Lelouch was pulled into a world different from the one he knew that was too surreal to put into words.

"You don't want it to end here, do you?" The girl who had died moments ago asked as her voice echoed all around Lelouch.

"Wait…how can that," Lelouch began, but the woman interrupted him.

"You appear to have a reason for living."

"That's impossible what is this place," Lelouch demanded, but he got no answer.

"If I grant you power, could you go on?" The girl offered. "I propose a deal; in exchange for this power, you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract, and you accept its conditions. While living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other: a different providence, a different time, a different life. The Power of the King will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?"

Suddenly a vision of the Britannian Emperor appeared before Lelouch.

"So there is a convergence with the Ragnarok Connection, so the myth is beginning once again."

Lelouch's resolve hardened at that moment, and he had no desire to die.

"Yes! I hereby accept the terms of your contract!"

Time returned to normal, but something had changed, and Lelouch could feel something was _different_.

"Before you kill me answer me this," Lelouch offered with one hand over his left eye. "Tell me how a Britannian who detests his own country should live his life?

"Are you some kind of radical?" The Royal Guard commander asked before noticing something was different as a red glow could be seen from Lelouch's left eye. "Huh?"

"What's wrong? Why not shoot? Your opponent is just a schoolboy," Lelouch asked before uncovering his left eye revealing the glowing emblem of a phoenix taking flight could be seen upon it. "Or have you finally realized…the only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed?!"

"What's happening here?!" The commander of the royal guard replied about to shoot Lelouch, but on reflex and not entirely realizing what he was doing Lelouch spoke.

"I...Lelouch vi Britannia commands you," Lelouch said with an extravagant wave of his right arm. "Now, all of you: Die!

Ensnared by his new power, the Royal Guard commander began laughing madly while his men behind him were also smiling.

"Happily, Your Highness!" The commander replied as he and his men soon held pistols to their own necks. "Fire!"

In that instant, all of them dropped to the ground dead, which surprised Lelouch realizing what had happened or more appropriately what he had done.

"Did I just do that?"

Realization slowly dawned on Lelouch as he approached their bodies using a foot to nudge them, but he was sure they were dead.

Lelouch began to smile deviously now possessing a power that could be just as valuable as a trump card as the Imperial Signet.

"Now then," Lelouch replied before glancing at Suzaku's fallen form. "I swear you will be avenged Suzaku."

* * *

A/N: well that is the chapter, and I do hope no minds if I got rid of Champ right off the bat. I hope no one is offended by that, although everything he did in the manga warranted a painful demise in my book and you can expect certain members of Wild Hunt to get what's coming to them when it suits the story best.

I used Imperial Arms for how Britannia refers to Teigu since Teigu wasn't a name they would probably use, but I found a way to incorporate it just the same, so I hope it works.

Gozuki and the Elite Seven will be a problem for Lelouch and the Black Knights for a good part of the story. I do apologize for seemingly skimming over Lelouch ending up in the truck near the end because for the most part, it was identical to events of the series, so I didn't want to drag things out for people already familiar with episode one.

Some of the things done were to help better integrate the characters, and what roles everyone else in the Empire will be involved in, I will reveal as the story progresses.

As for pairings, something else I am doing different is this time I am doing a harem for Lelouch consisting of the following characters; Kallen, C.C, Cassandra, Gilberda, Leone, Nemuri and Taeko.

Now I admit including Cassandra and Gilberda could be an issue to put it lightly, but I am prepared for this. Merraid Oarburgh could also complicate things too, so as a precaution I have a poll on my profile to decide on alternatives or potential additions up to a max of ten. The poll also serves a secondary purpose of determining who survives the story too. Akame will obviously survive events of the story regardless, but everyone even if they don't get included into the harem the higher they are on the poll the better their chances at surviving the story will be.

But if anyone would like to see Cassandra and Gilberda as part of the harem, I am open to suggestions to make it work without them being "out of character" and without having to off Merraid (I am very doubtful she would join the harem given her views on men) if I can help it. I don't have an issue with her except for the bit where she tends to force herself onto others which I understandably bugs me because well…no is no.

I am not trying to offend anyone, but I think you guys can see the problematic issue I am faced with so I thought I be up front so if anyone is disappointed about their lack of inclusion into the harem you guys will know why.

Otherwise, I'll just resort to someone from the reserve.

Anyway, that is it for me, and hopefully, I will roll out another update soon either for this story or one of my stories long overdue for one.


	2. Chapter 2 The Demon Awakens

A/N: Well, I had this chapter almost done, but I stopped when I had trouble debating on the flashback scene and related events tied to it. And I almost redid some points in these events of this chapter, but I believe it the job, and it should work to keep the story moving.

I won't go too much into it to avoid spoilers, but I was concerned about these scenes now flowing with the rest of the chapter's narrative.

Anyway, I'll save the rest until the end, so enjoy the chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**The Demon Awakens**

Lelouch felt comfortable within the cockpit of a Knightmare Frame after successfully fooling its pilot to exit his machine before using his Geass to "hand his Knightmare Frame over to him." Moments after Lelouch took it, he killed the pilot with a shot to the head just as he killed the soldier whose field gear and uniform he was wearing. After compelling the Royal Guards to commit suicide, Lelouch took Suzaku's discarded helmet and whatever he could use off of the bodies of the dead guardsmen before leaving. Lelouch realized if they were intent on killing who had seen the contents of that container, the Britannian Army would likely begin wiping out the inhabitants of the ghetto to eliminate any witnesses.

Observing the movements of the Britannian Knightmare Frames and other units through their IFF signals confirmed Lelouch's concerns.

_As I expected, they are wiping out the ghetto to remove any potential witnesses. _Lelouch thought while mindful to keep his newly obtained RPI-13 Sutherland, the successor to the Glasgow with improved combat performance and capability, out of sight.

Lelouch had tampered with the IFF of his Sutherland so it wouldn't show on the enemy's screens, but he could still see their IFF signals.

_The soldier I found having gunned down an entire family only, _Lelouch thought as his anger at the pointless massacre boiled within him.

It just made killing the soldier whose uniform he took as a disguise even easier after he managed to sneak up behind him and strangled him to death using wire Lelouch managed to take from a wrecked car he found in one of the crumbling structures upon reaching the surface. Lelouch's physical capabilities were below the standards Babara set, but he was much more capable than he was when Lelouch was a child to the point that strangling a man to death with wire was possible for Lelouch provided he could sneak up upon them.

Lelouch could've shot them, but he didn't want any blood or damage to the uniform so if he did have to use it to slip by other soldiers, it wouldn't draw suspicion. The uniform was useful for luring the pilot of the Sutherland out of his machine when he approached him to present a Terrorist Communicator he had found. Lelouch had suspected his Geass likely required eye contact, although concerned the pilot wouldn't fall for his ploy, it worked in the end.

"Right," Lelouch said, pushing his anger aside for the time being as he focused on the matter at hand. "I need to confirm something first."

Lelouch drew out his cell phone with a look of apprehension on his face knowing Lucien wouldn't take well to the situation he was in, but yet he needed to confirm something, so he dialed his number.

A few moments of listening to a ring tone, Lucien picked up the phone.

"Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"Something happened, and now I need you to confirm something for me? Could you check for any news regarding Shinjuku Ghetto?" Lelouch said having deduced his location from spotting the crumbling remains of Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, which Lelouch remembered seeing as a child and knew it was the only building with such a design.

Lucien wanted to inquire as to why Lelouch wanted such information, but he decided to answer his question first.

"I see nothing except for traffic restrictions."

"Any reason why?"

_Of course, once they are done, they will release news that favors the military yet that works in my favor, _Lelouch thought as a plan began to form.

"None, so tell me why did you want that information?"

Lelouch explained to Lucien the chain of events that had happened, which led to him being stuck in Shinjuku while the military was conducting a purge of the entire area. Upon finishing that, he had managed to kill a guard to steal his uniform and then a Sutherland; Lucien's displeasure at Lelouch wasn't as profound as Lelouch would've expected, yet it was clear he wasn't happy.

"I warned you that your tendency to play the Good Samaritan would backfire on you one of these days," Lucien reprimanded sternly, yet he was calm. "So, what will you do now?"

"The fact they are restricting traffic to the area confirms they are trying to keep everything happening in Shinjuku under wraps, so they can claim poison gas was released that wiped out the people living here. Especially since they clearly don't want anyone to know what was really in that container," Lelouch answered.

"The girl who gave you a power to compel others to obey you," Lucien said because that one part of Lelouch's story had intrigued him.

"Yes, and it is the means of which I'll open a path to escape," Lelouch answered before explaining his plan to Lucien.

"Very well, but I'll see if Babara can provide support. We'll stay in touch," Lucien said before hanging up once Lelouch had finished laying out his plan to create a route for him to escape.

Sighing, Lucien began dialing another number on his phone, and shortly afterward, Babara picked up.

"Did something happen, Lucien? You aren't the type to call for a simple chat," Babara said, recognizing the reason Lucien was calling having known him well enough.

"Yes, and are you and your students available?"

* * *

Sometime later, the military was effortless crushing all resistance before them, but one of the resistance fighters, Kallen, was determined to take out as many members of the Britannian Army to give the people a chance to escape. Earlier she had fought the pursuing Britannian gunships before a Sutherland arrived on the scene, forcing her to withdraw against her foe's technologically superior machine sacrificing one of the arms of her Glasgow to do so.

Kallen had managed to ambush an enemy Sutherland despite her disadvantage and was dealing with some of the Britannians well enough until the Sutherland she had been fighting earlier had arrived on the scene accompanied by another. The pilot and Kallen's pursuer was an older man in his twenties with a tanned complexion with blue hair and orange eyes wearing a blue and gold-trimmed pilot uniform.

"Well, if it isn't our Glasgow friend," Jeremiah Gottwald replied with a devilish smirk.

Kallen immediately ran for it knowing she was outmatched between two enemies in Sutherlands. However, another problem Kallen became aware of was the fact her energy filler had only thirty minutes left. Once her energy filler was out, she would be without a Knightmare Frame and an easy target, and that was provided she wasn't hunted down and killed first.

"The West Entrance," Lelouch said suddenly using the communicator Kallen had left behind in the truck.

"Huh!?"

"Use the tracks to move to the West Entrance," Lelouch informed her.

"Who is this," Kallen snapped, "how do you know this code?"

"That's not important right, so you are going to have to trust me if you want to win," Lelouch answered.

"To win?"

Kallen was hesitant to trust a stranger, but considering her situation and the fact she had very limited options to work with, Kallen complied as her Glasgow leaped up onto an overhead bridge before following train track west.

"Ok, what now," Kallen asked, but soon noticed Jeremiah and his partner were closing in from behind.

"Since you trusted me, you are going to win," Lelouch answered before Kallen spotted a train heading towards her, "hop onto the train!"

"Got it!"

Jeremiah was confused, but he used his Sutherland to stop the train.

"Trying to use this train to your advantage, so are you trying to just run away or lure us into a trap?" Jeremiah said thinking out loud before turning to his companion who was following behind him. "You go after the one-armed Glasgow."

"Yes, my lord," the pilot of the other Sutherland replied as he leaped over Jeremiah, a pair of Slash Harkens swiftly disabled the Knightmare Frame sending it falling off the bridge.

"Shot by friendly fire," Jeremiah said before activating his machine's external speaker to address the pilot, "what's your name and rank soldier we are hunting the-"

Jeremiah was cut off as the Sutherland piloted by Lelouch fired its assault rifle at him, quickly shooting off an arm before disabling one of its landspinners.

Horror dawned on Jeremiah, "Oh my god, a terrorist!"

The enemy Sutherland stopped firing giving Jeremiah a chance to fight back, but as he raised his weapon, Kallen came charging across the top of the train intent on finishing Jeremiah off. Upon seeing Kallen's approach and knowing his machine couldn't move, Jeremiah ejected from his Sutherland, escaping death at the hands of a vengeful Kallen.

"You saved me, but how did you get your hands on a Sutherland," Kallen said wishing to thank the man who saved her, but upon looking towards the building Lelouch was in, he was gone. "Huh, where did he go?"

"KALLEN!"

Approaching the Glasgow was a small group with the most noteworthy person, among them, being a man with black hair and grey eyes wearing a brown jacket, jeans, and a yellow shirt with a red headband. Like the rest of the group, he carried an assault rifle swung over his shoulder.

"What was that weird radio message just now?" Kaname Ohgi asked.

"What, he contacted you too?" Kallen said, surprised while speaking through the Glasgow's internal speaker.

"He sure did," Ohgi replied before his radio began crackling with static.

"Are you in charge," Lelouch asked, addressing Ohgi.

"Uh yeah."

"I present to you the cargo in that train. They are tools for your victory, and if you follow my instructions, then you will win," Lelouch said as Kallen and some of the others accompanying Ohgi opened the cargo cars being pulled by the train where they discovered to their shock Sutherlands, enough for each of them.

As Ohgi and the others expressed their shock, others were excited by the prospect of using a Sutherland against their enemies, but as Kallen was recovering from her initial surprise at the sight of the Sutherlands, Lelouch contacted her again.

"Woman in the Glasgow."

"Yes," Kallen replied.

"Stay where you are," Lelouch said before explaining, "Your unit is going to run decoy you got that?"

"U-Understood…"

"Energy Filler Status?"

"About fifteen minutes worth," Kallen answered.

"Then recharge it," Lelouch ordered, "in ten minutes, I'll contact you with your next instructions."

Switching off the radio, Lelouch reclined in the pilot's chair, taking a deep breath. Lelouch had relocated himself to one of the upper floors of the old Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, where he could not only conceal himself Lelouch could also broadcast and communicate with the resistance group much more efficiently while giving him an excellent vantage point.

"This is tiring than I would've expected," Lelouch remarked before his resolve hardened, "regardless, I am betting my life in this time, so I am going to have to give it my all."

_If I can't win a battle like then, how can I bring down Britannia_, Lelouch thought.

The one unknown in this battle was the piloting skills of the resistance fighters and their ability to follow his orders to the letter. The girl piloting the Glasgow Lelouch was confident she wouldn't be a hindrance, but overall it was a gamble the arrogance of the Britannians could also tip the balance in his favor.

_If they bring led by someone incompetent that would help me immensely_, Lelouch contemplated before he received a text message as his phone alerted him with a beeping noise.

Knowing who it was from Lelouch turned the Sutherland's head to find Babara there, but she wasn't alone.

"Those must be her students," Lelouch noted.

Both of them were women and around the same age as Lelouch if not one year older. The taller of the two were Japanese possessed dark grey hair styled into a medium-length top-do ponytail, with a single light grey bang of grey hair sticking out above her forehead, and lime eyes with a fair skin complexion. Her attire was revealing consisting of only a wisteria-colored sleeveless combat dress which parted around her lower waist to reveal her midriff and thighs while an attached long covering protected her modesty. She wore a yellow scarf around her neck was wearing matching thigh-length leggings with integrated footwear.

Her companion, who was modestly dressed, wore a white long sleeve dress shirt with the collar secured with a red ribbon and over it, a black vest combined with a red checkered mini skirt, and lastly, black leather below-the-knee boots. She also wore black headphones with a red butterfly motif over her long bright reddish hair while she also had pale skin and red eyes.

Lelouch exited the cockpit of the Sutherland to greet them.

"I am not surprised you two found a way in here," Lelouch remarked, causing Babara to glare at him.

"Just how on Earth did you get involved in this?"

"Well, I am sure Lucien told you the details," Lelouch replied.

Babara sighed in exasperation. "He did, and I still can't believe it, but I had warned you your Good Samaritan habits would get you into trouble one day."

"I had no idea the truck I was trying to help belonged to a resistance group," Lelouch replied.

"We'll discuss that later, but first, I should introduce you to my students," Babara said before gesturing to the taller of the two. "This one is Taeko, my first student who has been raised by the clan since she was an infant, and this is Chelsea, my newest student who has joined the clan some months ago."

"Hiya," Chelsea replied briefly, removing the lollipop she had in her mouth while Taeko bowed her head.

"It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Taeko is my strongest student, but Chelsea, I suppose you could call her my most creative student because on our way in, I had her use her Imperial Arms, Gaia Foundation, to learn the identity of the enemy commander," Babara revealed much to Lelouch's interest.

"Who is it?"

"The Viceroy himself," Babara answered.

"Clovis is the one leading them," Lelouch remarked with a hint of surprise, but considering the men he killed earlier wore uniforms belonging to members of his Royal Guards, he suspected his involvement.

_I didn't think Clovis would come to a battlefield. He never struck me as the type who could take command of a military operation like this, but if he's here, then that girl must've been valuable to him. _Lelouch thought while wondering if Clovis possessed a similar power to him, or was there another reason for Clovis's interest.

Yet knowing Clovis was the one in charge caused Lelouch to smile deviously.

"If Clovis is the one in charge, then victory is likely to be mine, but there is something I wanted to ask you three to do for me?"

"What do you have in mind?" Babara inquired.

* * *

Minutes later, Ohgi and his group were ready as the former was aboard his Sutherland powering it up while Kallen was off playing decoy as part of their comeback strategy. She would lure the enemy to her position where they would be ambushed by Ohgi and the others, although some were wary of trusting a stranger the fact he had provided them with Sutherlands and saved Kallen gave most of them the confidence in their mysterious benefactor.

Around the same time, however, Chelsea was using her Gaia Foundation Imperial Arms to disguise herself as a Britannian Soldier. Such was the ability of her cosmetic type Imperial Arms appearing as a make-up kit, which allowed her to disguise herself not only as another person but she could disguise herself as animals and even inanimate objects like trees.

Upon approaching a group of them standing near a tank, she drew their attention by presenting a disc she found before Taeko and Babara made their move.

As old as she was Babara moved faster than the eye could use drawing her favorite weapon of a curved dagger which she used to swiftly slit the throat of a Britannian soldier before just as quickly cutting down another while Chelsea seized the moment and drew a hidden knife to kill the last one. Taeko meanwhile took advantage of the tank's open hatch as the driver was ducking back inside, but before he could close the hatch, Taeko tossed a poisoned smoke bomb in.

It went off seconds later, prompting the pilot to scramble to open the hatch again but died before he could crawl out of the tank.

"What idiots they were, and they were so lax in the middle of a battlefield…such stupidity. No one wonder Lelouch got away with stealing so many of their Sutherlands." Babara commented with disgust.

"Our job is done, and we got a tank, so what now?" Chelsea asked while Taeko had noticed a pair of Britannian soldiers approaching the area to investigate the communication before finding the three women standing near the corpses of their fallen comrades.

"I would say some clean up is in order, but Taeko has it under control," Babara answered.

Chelsea watched as Taeko moving with what seemed to be superhuman speed used her sword to deflect the bullets fired at her before speeding past the two swords, but in passing, Taeko had dedicated the two soldiers, and it took them seconds to realize it as a testament to her speed and strength.

"One day Chelsea, I can condition you into being as effective at killing as Taeko," Babara noted with a hint of pride whenever she regarded Taeko.

"But I can kill?"

"Yes, although killing isn't the problem the issue, like Lelouch, it's your stamina." Babara pointed out.

Chelsea seemed disappointed at the comment, but she merely focused on her task and dispelled her disguise returning to her normal appearance.

"Now we wait for Lelouch's order, but let's move this tank out of the open," Babara commanded as Taeko was already removing the bodies of the tank operators.

* * *

Around the same time aboard the mobile G-1 command base, a blonde-haired young adult close to his mid-twenties wearing purple and gold-trimmed royal garb with a white cravat was seated upon his throne. Clovis la Britannia's trusted right-hand man had just reported they lost two Sutherlands in what appears to have been an ambush.

"How were they ambushed by mere Elevens?" Clovis demanded.

"We don't know your highness."

Clovis's right-hand man was older with a darkened skin tone wearing a military uniform and a cape while he was bald with a monocle over one eye while surrounded by black-uniformed imperial officers around a tactical map of the Shinjuku Ghetto.

General Bartley Asprius observed the tactical map alongside three staff officers in black uniforms, although they were confident this was a minor setback, but that one ambush was the first of many to begin happening.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another corner of Shinjuku, a young woman wearing a black maid uniform complete with the traditional white apron and hat upon her head was kneeling down before the body of a dead Britannian pilot. She had long purple hair styled into a pair of pigtails that matched her eyes and a fair skin complexion wearing black shoes and matching socks.

She looked almost normal except for the fact she had four arms.

_This is the fourth one I have come across_, Cassandra thought.

Cassandra was searching for Barbra on behalf of the leader of the Oarburgh Clan, Merraid Oarburgh.

Merraid had grown concerned about Babara's unusual activities. It wasn't that Merraid was suspicious of Babara doing anything treasonous or anything like it, but the fact the client had requested details of the task be kept confidential between Babara and the anonymous client concerned her.

The money they were receiving was very generous, but Merraid didn't like being kept out of the loop even though Babara was okay with it.

Hence Cassandra was dispatched to tail Babara and students to learn what she has been up to and the identity of her client.

However, Babara was their most experienced assassin, so tracking her without being detected was easier said than done.

_This is very odd; _Cassandra wondered, examining the dead pilot_. No signs of resistance or any indication he was drugged, but his face is lacking in any sign of emotion._

Furthermore, the gunshot wound in his forehead indicated he saw his killer, but yet he did nothing, which was extremely odd.

_Every single pilot I came across was all the same. No Knightmare Frame and no sign of resistance_, Cassandra thought finding it baffling.

Cassandra wondered if Babara's mysterious client was somehow involved.

_There are too many gunships in the air, so I'll hide in that wrecked warehouse until they pass_, Cassandra thought before taking refuge inside the build to avoid being slighted by the VTOL gunships in the air.

But once inside, Cassandra beheld another sight.

The interior of the warehouse was filled with bodies. One group consisted of Japanese civilians, but unlike the other bodies of the Knightmare Frame pilots, Cassandra had found they actually tried to fight against their impending fate, so there was nothing out of the ordinary there.

Yet nearby Cassandra found the body of another Knightmare Frame pilot who was just like the rest.

_Another one and,_ Cassandra thought before noticing a second group of bodies.

Cassandra was surprised because she recognized the uniform belonging to those of the Royal Guard under Prince Clovis but on top of that the position of their bodies and how they were holding their own weapons.

_These men killed one another_, Cassandra realized, especially finding the body of their commander who died by shooting himself in the neck. Most unsettlingly of all was the fact they were all smiling. _What is going on here!?_

Finally, Cassandra noticed another corpse wearing a Britannia prison straight-jacket.

_Another shot to the head like the others, but what's an escapee from a Britannian prison doing here?_

Before Cassandra could contemplate the matter further, she saw something that defied explanation. The bullet wound upon the woman's head seemingly spit the bullet out before closing as if time was going backward before her eyes.

Cassandra's eyes widened in shock when the corpse began to move.

Reacting quickly, Cassandra hid in the best spot she could find as she continued observing the green-haired corpse coming back to life.

The corpse opened her eyes before looking around.

"Well, he is already making good use of it, I see," C.C. complimented as she got up from the ground.

Cassandra was dumbfounded by what she was seeing because a corpse coming back to life shouldn't happen.

C.C. causally dusted herself off once she was standing up.

"I guess I'll give him a couple days before I approach him, but I am sure he'll do fine for the time being."

The green-haired woman walked out of the warehouse, leaving a shocked Cassandra behind.

* * *

Meanwhile, Clovis was becoming increasingly frustrated with what began as an easy massacre of the Shinjuku Ghetto, but now the terrorists were just fighting back; they had somehow seized Sutherlands of their own.

Even worse, they had lost a dozen VTOL gunships, dozens more in ground troops, and armored tanks along with thirty-eight Knightmare Frames, including over a dozen uncounted for. Clovis couldn't risk calling for reinforcements because that would raise unwanted questions with those in the Homeland, which could risk his experiments with the girl being discovered, especially should the Office of Secret Intelligence.

_I'll just have to be more aggressive_, Clovis thought before approaching the tactical map surrounded by Bartley and his staff officers.

"This farce has gone on long enough! I want you to bring in Quincey's squad," Clovis commanded.

"But my lord that will break the encirclement," Bartley protested.

"It's fine; we'll just reinforce the breach with the units guarding me," Clovis replied. "All we know for certain is that enemy forces are here, so gather whatever Knightmare Frames we have and surround this spot."

Clovis pointed to an area on the map.

* * *

"Well, I should've known you make such a stupid move Clovis. Whenever you got desperate with your back to the wall, you were more prone to make bigger mistakes whenever we played chess," Lelouch remarked deviously.

Picking up the communicator, Lelouch had a plan in mind to deal a crushing blow to Clovis.

"Q1, do you have an area map?"

"Yes, I have a map of the old town. But it has no current landmarks," Kallen answered.

"It will do," Lelouch answered before he received the map from Kallen.

Lelouch studied the map for a few more, having completed his plan.

"Now mission number three," Lelouch said with a smile before explaining his plan.

* * *

Meanwhile, Clovis boldly moved forward with his own plan, unaware of the massive strategic blunder he had already made.

"All right, send in Burts and the others too," Clovis commanded with a prideful smile, confident the overwhelming numbers he had gathered would end it. "The enemy's main force is that center dot. Finish every one of them off."

As the force of fifty Knightmare Frames converged on the point where the enemy was supposed to be located. Unknown to them, Kallen and the others had escaped the area by passing through an underground subway tunnel, but Kallen was taking up the rear because she had a task to perform as they made their escape.

"With this, I call check," Lelouch said before placing a black queen chess piece on top of the Sutherland's cockpit controls.

Kallen fired her slash harken at the top of the tunnel before turning and quickly fleeing, but despite what should've been minor damage to the ceiling, set off a chain reaction. The location they had lured the enemy into was above an old subway transit hub with tunnels large enough for Knightmare Frames to pass through and large open areas for crowds because of all of the shops that were once inside. It had already been heavily damaged during the war because of combat and bombardments to the area seven years ago, and the utter lack of repair combined with the overall support pillars and crumbling tunnels growing weaker through the years.

Until one strike in the right area could cause the entire underground area to collapse.

Lelouch couldn't hold back his laughter as his screen was filled with fifty Sutherland declared "Lost."

"My plan worked, didn't it?" Lelouch declared. "I can do it, I can defeat Britannia!"

Opposite of Lelouch, Clovis was left pale in horror at the catastrophic losses he had just sustained. Furthermore, Clovis was running out of Knightmare Frames with only those maintaining the encirclement left and what soldiers and armored vehicles were roaming about.

_Just who the hell I am up against? Is he even better than Tohdoh?_

Clovis thought, but with virtually no options left, Clovis swallowed whatever pride he had left before using the controls at the tactical station to contact someone he knew would be inside of a mobile trailer near the G-1.

"Yes, your highness?"

Appearing on the overheard monitor was the face of a man about to hit his thirties with light blue hair, grayish-blue eyes with glasses over them wearing a white lab coat with a high collar.

"I only have one question, Lloyd," Clovis began. "Can it win? Can your toy beat them?"

Lloyd Asplund smiled before answering, "My Lord, please be so kind as to call it Lancelot, and yes, it shall."

"Launch it immediately," Clovis ordered, "I want the enemy dealt with!"

"At once, your highness," Lloyd replied happily.

* * *

Minutes later, the Z-01 Lancelot, the first seventh-generation Knightmare Frame, was in the early stages of powering up. Inside was its pilot, although Jeremiah Gottwald was their original choice, he refused to return from the frontline. So Lloyd was first to settle on a pilot candidate who had literally been picked up and brought to one of the mobile medical centers for treatment.

"Let's go over your objective one more time," a young woman asked.

"I am to eliminate the terrorists using Sutherlands," Suzaku answered.

Unknown to Lelouch despite shot at close range in the back, the bullet was deflected by an old pocketwatch Suzaku had been carrying and the protective gear he wore saving his life. The impact of the shot fired at such a close range still hit him with enough of an impact Suzaku lost consciousness and suffered some minor injuries around his lower back.

During that time, he was recovered, but after awakening, he was met by Lloyd and his assistant Cecile Croomy who had an unexpected offer for him.

He accepted not only to end the conflict in the Shinjuku Ghetto, but Suzaku intended to find Lelouch and ensure he escapes safely.

_Is that girl still with him? _

Fitted in a new white and black flight suit with gold trim, Suzaku waited for the Lancelot to finish its start-up procedures.

Appearing on the monitor before Suzaku was the face of Lloyd's assistance Cecile, a young woman in her mid-twenties with blue hair and light blue eyes wearing an orange military uniform with a black tie.

"We have estimated the enemy's force consists of eleven Sutherlands and one Glasgow."

"I understand Miss Cecile," Suzaku said, gripping the control sticks for the Lancelot, "I'll eliminate them at once."

"Very well, Lancelot launch!"

The white Knightmare Frame took off out of the gate at full throttle much to Lloyd's amusement.

"This is way better than the manual," Suzaku remarked in awe as the Lancelot sped into Shinjuku Ghetto.

Suzaku had never actually piloted a Knightmare Frame, but he and others like him did undergo training in simulators for testing purposes. However, the fact that Suzaku was rated as the highest in simulated battles showed he had a natural affinity for piloting a Knightmare Frame. This was one of the reasons Lloyd had chosen him to become the Lancelot's pilot when they had no one else available to them.

It didn't take Suzaku long to find the first enemy Sutherland.

"Huh, it doesn't look like a Sutherland," Shinichirō Tamaki commented before the Lancelot beheaded his Sutherland disabling his machine, causing it to eject the cockpit block.

* * *

"Excellent, just one more push, and the checkpoint will fall," Lelouch commented from the cockpit of his Sutherland.

"This is B group, reporting enemy presence," a resistance member reported.

"Odd, I didn't notice any enemy units breaking away from their encirclement," Lelouch commented. "I didn't think he would call in reinforcements, but…"

Lelouch picked up the radio, deciding to learn the details first before debating if they were reinforcements called from the outside or something else.

"Give me a status report."

"Every one ejected, but it took out four units in nothing flat."

"It?!" Lelouch asked, clearly concerned.

"It's just one unit, but I never saw anything like before. I think it's a new model or something, but it was all white and…ahhh!" the man was saying before the Lancelot attacked him cutting the conversation short.

"A white Knightmare Frame," Lelouch said, beginning to contemplating this new and dangerous element.

"Babara," Lelouch said, using another communication device Babara had given him to contact her directly with.

"What is it?"

"We may have to change plans. The resistance members are being attacked by a white Knightmare Frame. It's likely some kind of new model, and I just lost five men to it."

"A white Knightmare frame," Babara said before realizing, "It must be the new rumored seventh generation Knightmare Frame. I heard only rumors about it, but if this is the one, then you may be in some serious trouble."

"I see," Lelouch said before quickly formulating a plan. "Ok, then I need you to move that tank."

* * *

Meanwhile, Suzaku in the Lancelot was proving to be unstoppable, leaving two more Sutherlands destroyed in its wake, its pilots forced to eject.

"Huh!?"

Suzaku used the Lancelot's Blaze Luminous shields, green energy shields emitted from the forearms, to deflect bullets fired at him from a high position.

"Is that," Suzaku said using the Lancelot's sensors to discover a Sutherland hiding on one of the upper floors of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. It appeared the Sutherland was attempting to snipe the Lancelot from a safe distance, but its rifle was very ill-suited for such a task. Its shots were reaching the Lancelot, but trying to hit a target from so high up was difficult. "Could he be the leader?"

_He's taken the bait, _Lelouch thought, although he wasn't sure if the Sutherland's rifle he was carrying would be able to get its attention, thankfully it was enough.

"He's coming up, so get ready…on my signal," Lelouch instructed as he braced himself for the coming confrontation while the Sutherland readied a Chaos Mine with its freehand.

The Lancelot's slash harken struck the ceiling of the floor Lelouch was hiding on, but he was ready before him, and after counting, Lelouch hurled the Chaos mine. The Lancelot, having expected an attack, responded by using its Blaze Luminous upon reaching the same floor the Sutherland was on. Although the impact of the shrapnel spraying grenade was challenging to block, the Lancelot was undamaged.

_Impressive shields, but how much can they take? _Lelouch wondered before opening fire with his machine's assault rifle.

Using one blaze luminous shield to deflect the attack as Suzaku pushed the Lancelot to approach the Sutherland.

"Are you the one in command?" Suzaku demanded, but he forgot the external speaker wasn't turned on.

Lelouch grinned as the Lancelot drew closer until, "NOW!"

The floor beneath the Lancelot suddenly gave away, revealing two Sutherlands had been waiting on the floor below, but before Suzaku could recover the floor below the falling, Lancelot collapsed again under the weight of more gunfire fired by one more Sutherland waiting on the floor below.

"Q-1, what's your progress?" Lelouch asked as he aimed his rifle into the hole where the Lancelot fell, attempting to shoot it.

"I just finished!" Kallen reported before leaping out of the building just as it was beginning to shake while revealing the remaining hand of her Glasgow was damaged.

"Right, so the rest of you keep the pressure on," Lelouch ordered as his plan was working so far.

Before the Lancelot arrived, Lelouch had Ohgi, and those who had Sutherlands left created some holes in the floors below while weakening as much of the structure as they could. Kallen had finished destroying most of the support pillars in the tower they were in left most of the two towers. After falling through three holes created by the Sutherlands hiding below, the Lancelot kept falling through falls created beforehand by Ohgi and the others.

_They led me right into a trap, _Suzaku said as he was struggling to use the Blaze Luminous to deflect the bullets fired at him.

Ohgi and the others threw their Chaos Mines into the hole before making a quick retreat as they exited the building.

_They are leaving, but why? _

Suzaku's question was answered as the tower they were fighting in began collapsing.

"Suzaku get out of there; they are bringing down that tower on top of you," Cecile alerted.

As Suzaku hurried towards the nearest exit to escape the collapsing tower as it was falling towards the second tower, but before exiting the Lancelot's sensors detected a projectile coming at him. A tank shell had been fired at him from the tank Babara, Chelsea, and Taeko had commandeered. Through a mixture of instinct and luck, Suzaku blocked it with the Blaze Luminous, but the impact shoved the Lancelot began into the crumbling tower as the top of it just collided with the tower to the right.

_I need to get out, but…_

Thinking fast, Suzaku made a beeline for the opposite side of the tower just as it was coming down, but using the Blaze Luminous shields, Suzaku smashed his way through another wall escaping on the opposite side of the building.

If Suzaku had been a second late, the Lancelot would've been crushed by the debris of the crumbling tower.

However, the collapse of the two towers led to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to begin collapsing as the broken weight of its two collapsed towers led to the building giving under its own weight.

"Did we get him?" Chelsea asked.

"Hopefully, but our job is done, so let's abandon this tank," Babara ordered as she and Taeko exited the tank. "Chelsea, go meet up with Lelouch as per his plan while we wait at the rendezvous point."

"Ok," Chelsea replied with a salute.

"Did it work?" Ohgi asked as he saw the last of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building collapse into a towering cloud of dust that loomed over Shinjuku Ghetto.

"No way he could've gotten out of there!" Kallen said confidently that white machine could've have escaped from that.

Suddenly a slash harken from the Lancelot beheaded Ohgi's machine before Kallen saw the Lancelot emerging from an alleyway nearby attacking her and the remaining members of their group who still had Sutherlands.

* * *

As Suzaku was attacking Ohgi and the others for attempting to bury the Lancelot in the collapsed ruins of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, a pair of Britannian soldiers were approaching the G-1 base.

"Hold it, this Prince Clovis's personal transport." A soldier armed with an assault rifle said.

"And it's lightly guarded it seems," Lelouch said before using his Geass on the guard, "You will allow me and my companion to pass."

"Yes sir," the guard replied, lowering his weapon, "understood."

"Damn, that's scary," Chelsea commented, having used her own Imperial Arms to disguise herself as a soldier.

"Its nevertheless very useful," Lelouch admitted while grateful that the soldier's uniform concealed his identity while he left his eyes exposed so he could use his Geass.

After seemingly succeeding dealing with the Lancelot, it was then Lelouch decided to proceed to the final stage of his plan before Clovis decides to use anything else that could complicate his efforts. Lelouch abandoned his Sutherland and put on the helmet before meeting with Chelsea, who arrived at their assigned meeting spot by using her Imperial Arms to change into a bird.

Now that they had access to the G-1, Clovis was in the time was now to end it.

* * *

Minutes later, Ohgi, Kallen, Tamaki, and the others had retreated into a warehouse they were using as a base while at the same time providing a safe haven from those being hunted down by Britannian soldiers.

"Hey Ohgi," Kallen said, feeling bitter that despite all of that work to bring an entire building down on the Lancelot, it not only failed to destroy it, but they lost all of their Knightmare Frames when it countered attacked. "Who do you suppose that was on the radio?"

"Beats me," Ohgi admitted with a tired sigh. "I tried calling him, but I heard no response, so maybe…"

They were interrupted by the doors to the warehouse being blown up before a tank flanked by over a dozen armed Britannian soldiers poured into the warehouse leveling their weapons at them and the unarmed civilians in their care.

"What the?!" Ohgi began before Tamaki began snapping at him.

"There, you see! Instead of following somebody we don't even know, we should've used the poison gas."

"But…"

"Damn Nagata to hell," Tamaki snapped while prepared to make his last stand.

"So this is where you Eleven vermin scurried off to," the lead soldier said from atop the tank he was riding in. "Prepared to fire!"

But before they could open fire, an unexpected announcement echoed through the battlefield on external speakers and all communication channels.

"Attention all forces, cease fire at once," Clovis announced much to the shock of everyone on both sides.

"WHAT!" the soldier declared while he was just as baffled as everyone else.

"I Clovis, third prince of Britannia and royal viceroy of Area Eleven, at this moment command you; all forces are ordered to cease fire at once. You will also cease the destruction of any buildings or property. All casualties, whether Britannian or Eleven, shall be treated equally and without prejudice. In the name of Clovis la Britannia, you are hereby ordered, cease fire at once. I shall allow no further fighting," Clovis declared.

* * *

A second later, the lights and power in the command center of the G-1 were switched off.

"There are you satisfied now," Clovis asked spitefully from his throne.

"Very, well done," Lelouch complimented while Chelsea stood guard outside the command center with an assault rifle.

"And what shall we do now? Sing a few lively ballads, or perhaps a nice game of chess?"

"Now that has a familiar ring to it," Lelouch began before taking off his helmet, "I recall once that you and I never finished that chess game between us seven years ago, so it seems only fitting that game was completed with this battle. You almost had me this time by using that white Knightmare Frame, unlike the previous times we have played."

"You," Clovis demanded, "who are you?"

"It's been a long-time big brother," Lelouch said, stepping into the dim light allowing Clovis to see his face.

Clovis was speechless upon seeing Lelouch face, although seven years had passed he still recognized Lelouch as the young boy he had challenged to chess daily before he was exiled to Japan.

"The eldest son of the late consort Marianne and seventeenth in line to the imperial throne, Lelouch vi Britannia, at your service," Lelouch said, bowing before the throne in a mock greeting.

"Lelouch?! B-But I thought-"

"That I was dead?" Lelouch said, interrupting Clovis before saying. "You were wrong. I have returned, Your Highness. And I've come back to change everything."

Grinning, Lelouch rose to his feet as he leveled his pistol at Clovis, who began to approach his throne.

"I'm overjoyed, Lelouch. They said you died when Japan was brought into the fold." Clovis said with a mixture of nervousness and relief. "What a blessing to have you back. We should depart for the homeland immediately."

"So you can use me as a tool of diplomacy? It seems you've forgotten why we were used as tools in the first place," Lelouch replied back before allowing a moment for Clovis to realize what he was referring to. "That's right. It was because my mother was killed. Mother held the title of Knight of Six among the Knights of the Round but was a commoner by birth. No doubt, the other imperial consorts held her in contempt."

Lelouch's anger began to boil over as he said while his restrained anger was being more apparent.

"Even though you made it look like the work of terrorists, I'm no fool. You people killed my mother!"

"I SWEAR TO YOU," Clovis said frantically, "IT WASN'T ME!"

"Then who?" Lelouch began as he activated his Geass, "the truth cannot be hidden from me, so you will answer all of my questions."

Clovis was instantly ensnared by Lelouch's Geass.

"Speak your questions," Clovis replied in an emotionless tone.

"Who killed my mother?"

"Ask Second Prince Schneizel and Second Princess Cornelia, they can tell you."

"Are they involved in her death?"

Clovis didn't respond.

"I see, so that's all you know," Lelouch said before putting the gun away to pull out his cell phone and readying its recording function. "Next, tell me everything about the girl in the capsule? Why was she so important you would make up a story about it being poison gas and slaughter everyone in this ghetto to cover it up?"

"She is a person of interest to the Emperor, so I captured her to experiment on her." Clovis began as Lelouch was recording everything he was saying using his phone. "She has special abilities including immortality, but most of all she can grant those she forms a contact with special abilities called Geass. We sought to replicate her abilities and study the relationship of Geass between her and the ruins that bear the same emblem upon her forehead. The Emperor has also expressed a great interest in similar ruins, which we believe is why he has been expanding Britannia so aggressively."

_She's immortal, then could she be alive? _Lelouch wondered, but that was merely the tip of the iceberg.

"Tell me everything," Lelouch asked.

If it interested his father, the Emperor, then Lelouch knew the information Clovis had could prove invaluable in the future.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the G-1, the surviving Japanese civilians were being allowed to leave the battlefield, but yet they were confused over the sudden change from slaughtering them to letting them go. Regardless no one questioned it and quickly accepted it before Clovis changes his mind.

"Why are we letting the Elevens go? What about the Poison Gas they stole?" Jeremiah demanded while speaking to a soldier over a communication line.

"Its Prince Clovis's orders sir," the soldier replied.

"Fine, so get Bartley and the others on the line," Jeremiah ordered.

"Uh, they don't seem to be at their posts," the soldier answered.

"Are you telling me Prince Clovis has been left unattended in the G-1?"

"That's all of my questions," Lelouch said, releasing Clovis from the hold his Geass had on him.

Clovis quickly regained his senses just as Lelouch put away his phone and drew his gun again.

"I promise I had nothing to do with it," Clovis said weakly while holding his hands up.

"I believe you," Lelouch offered unassumingly before his voice took on a dark tone. "But your men tried to kill me, and they murdered my best friend in cold blood, and they slaughtered countless unarmed civilians."

Clovis's eyes widened in alarm as Lelouch aimed the gun directly at his face.

"Please, you can't! We may have different mothers, but you and I are still blood." Clovis said in a panic.

"You can't change the world without getting your hands dirty," Lelouch said before pulling the trigger.

Chelsea, who had been standing outside the command center, heard the gunshot, but moments later, Lelouch exited the command center with the helmet back on.

"We're leaving," Lelouch said as he began walking quickly down the hall.

"Did you just," Chelsea asked, obviously concerned. Not so much that Chelsea was against the idea, but instead worried about the implications of killing a Britannian Prince and Viceroy could bring.

"I did, why wouldn't I kill an enemy commander," Lelouch answered.

Chelsea followed him, unable to do anything about what just happened.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, inside an abandoned subway station outside of Shinjuku Ghetto, Lelouch and Chelsea had rendezvoused with Taeko and Babara.

"Despite the issues that white Knightmare Frame caused you, your plan succeeded," Babara complimented.

"It did, and I destroyed a good portion of the forces Clovis brought," Lelouch remarked with a prideful smile.

"Don't let it go to your head, boy. You won one battle, but you haven't won the war."

"I know," Lelouch said with a solemn expression, "it has just begun. Although it's sooner than I would've imagined, with this new power, it helps me speed up my schedule. I would've had to wait much longer before I can make the initial move."

"Hey, Granny," Chelsea began.

"Don't call me granny," Babara snapped.

"Was killing Clovis ok for him?"

"You killed the Viceroy?" Babara said, seemingly surprised by it.

"I did after I used my power to extract everything of interest from him," Lelouch answered, but instead of Babara reprimanding him, she did quite the opposite.

"Well, now you can consider yourself a professional assassin, although it's a shame we didn't have a contact on Clovis we could've collected on."

Lelouch grinned slightly, "but in terms of combat ability, I have a long way to go."

"Yes, you do," Babara said in agreement before adding with a smile, "and now I'll be training you extra hard."

Suddenly Babara became aware of someone before looking over her shoulder.

"What is it?" Lelouch asked.

"You're hiding your presence well, but you might as well come out of there, Cassandra," Babara demanded.

The sound of someone sighing was hard before Cassandra stepped out of the shadows making her presence known among the others.

"As I expected from the advisor to the head of our clan and our most seasoned assassin," Cassandra complimented before turning to Lelouch.

"Cassandra," Lelouch said with an expression indicating he recognized her.

Cassandra seemed just as surprised as the feeling was mutual, "Lelouch, is that you?"

"You two know each other," Babara remarked surprised by this turn of events.

"We met one another when Lelouch and his friend Suzaku visited a Britannian circus me, and Gilberda was apart of," Cassandra replied.

"Yes, I remember that. The owner was a dishonest man, and his treatment of you two disgusted me, to put it mildly," Lelouch commented.

Due to Cassandra's extra arms, she had been old to the circus by her parents, just like her friend Gilberda, who was sold off because of her abnormally high level of strength she possessed. The circus initially from Britannia, and despite most Japanese possessing a negative view of Britannians at the time before the war, the circus was welcomed in Japan.

It was a month before the war between Japan and Britannia when Lelouch met them.

_Their location near the Kurugui Shrine was suspicious, and a day after they arrived, three men attempted to invade the Kuurugui Estate, _Lelouch noted internally.

Suspecting the circus was a front for Britannian agents, like men involved with those who killed his mother Marianne or were involved with one of the contenders for the throne hoping to ensure Lelouch and Nunnally could never compete for the throne. Lelouch and Suzaku went, and the pair had come across a young Cassandra and Gilberda who were treated as part of the circus' freaks.

When the authorities who captured the men weren't going to do anything about the circus, Lelouch decided to take matters into his own hands.

* * *

That night Lelouch snuck into the circus and breaking into the headmaster's office, although, at the time, Lucien had been secretly watching over Lelouch.

His involvement had allowed Lelouch to infiltrate the circus and found some interesting documents inside the ringmaster's office, along with the keys to the cages Cassandra and Gilberda were locked in.

"What do you want kid?" Gilberda snapped.

Unlike Cassandra, Gilberda was the older of the two and the more aggressive of the pair. She possessed short blonde hair wearing colorful clothing you would commonly seen on a clown.

"Do you want to escape?" Lelouch asked with a serious expression.

"What kind of joke is that," Gilberda snapped, "are you making fun of us?"

"Yes or not," Lelouch replied sternly.

"You're serious," Cassandra asked, peeking out from behind Gilberda, who was also wearing attire befitting a clown.

"I only need to know where the key for your cage would be kept?"

"It's in the ringmaster's office," Cassandra answered, "but I don't think you can get in."

"I'll get it," Lelouch replied before slipping away to fetch the key.

* * *

"After about twenty minutes later Lelouch came back with the key and freed us," Cassandra said, returning to the present. "Following that I guess Lelouch found evidence of the ringmaster involved in illegal smuggling and accepting state secrets from spies within Japan, so Lelouch leaked it to the media anonymously causing the circus to get closed down and most of its staff including the ringmaster to get arrested."

"How did Lelouch get access to something like that?" Chelsea asked.

"The safe the ringmaster had required only a key to unlock it, which was part of his keyring he kept on his desk, which also had the key for the cage I was looking for. I decided to unlock the safe on a whim to see if there was anything I could use to divert any effort of tracking down Cassandra and Gilberda," Lelouch answered who either by luck or fate he found something that suited his needs perfectly.

"After that, we were freed we stayed at the Kuruguri Estate with Lelouch having to hide us," Cassandra added before saying, "and then the war happened."

"Hiding you two couldn't have been easy," Babara noted.

"They don't really watch Lelouch too well. They only keep an eye on him when he leaves the estate, and even then, they don't intervene unless he is about to be killed," Cassandra explained while remembering a time Lelouch came to them with food, but he was covered in bruises and light cuts.

_They didn't even do anything when the local children attacked him. _

"After the war started, they followed me, Nunnally and my friend Suzaku until stray artillery fire hit the outskirts of a city we were trying to get clear of causing us to fall through a collapsed train tunnel," Lelouch explained. "We couldn't find either of you, but Suzaku and I managed to get Nunnally out by finding an old service tunnel for maintenance workers. We tried to find out, but we found no sign of you."

"We thought the same, and Gilberta managed to dig us out through the collapsed ceiling of the tunnel back to the surface," Cassandra explained while recalling a mental image of the superhumanly strong Gilberta hurling broken pieces of concrete out of the way before helping Cassandra out of the collapsed tunnel.

"Then I assume at some point you two joined the Oarburgh Clan," Lelouch asked, which Cassandra replied with a nod.

"I see, so now that you two are caught up, we should leave right now and continue this discussion someplace more secured," Babara ordered as the group wasted no further time escaping the area.

* * *

A/N: Well that is Shinjuku Ghetto out of the way, and we are introduced to Cassandra, who had encountered Lelouch in the past having helped her and Gilberta escape from the circus just before the invasion of Japan.

They didn't stay together long, but it was long enough.

But the question is how Cassandra's boss will react when she finds out, and there is the fact Clovis is now dead, which is likely to set in motion certain events which will lead to an inevitable confrontation with the Elite Seven.

I have established a new poll, but I am currently running another poll on my profile, and I'll likely replace it with the Akame ga Kill poll once more of the characters on the poll get a proper introduction. But if you guys want to vote on it now, it's up in my Code Geass Crossover Forum with a link located on my profile page, and the poll is under "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Path of Shadow and Blood" topic.

The confirmed harem for Lelouch so far will feature Akame, Hinata(Hinowa), Cassandra, Kallen Kozuki, and C.C.

Akame will be a bit tricky, but we will see how it all plays out.

So I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I look forward to your feedback and reviews.


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